The Dust Bowl is going ultra in 2027 with the official launch of the 308-mile Dust Bowl Deluxe race presented by The Bicycle Station!  The Deluxe is a wilder, rowdier, 308-mile version of the classic route through rugged state forests, scenic farmland, and covered bridge country.  The Bicycle Station's Jesse Smith did a beta test of the Deluxe route on race weekend in 2026 (along with Blayne Roeder), and you can watch their extremely insightful recap video below.

Features of the Deluxe route include:

• A challenging first 100 miles through the hills and hollers of Owen-Putnam State Forest
• A middle 100 miles primarily on the tamer Dust Bowl 100 route (perfect to recover from the first 100 before pushing through the last 100)
• A punchy final 100 miles through Parke County and western Putnam County's covered bridge country
• The route includes 165 miles of gravel, 20+ historic bridges (including 10 covered bridges), and 14,000 feet of elevation gain

Please note, the Dust Bowl Deluxe will be a fully self-supported event, and a GPS tracking device will be required.  Stay tuned for Deluxe specific rules and guidelines that will drop prior to registration opening on January 1st.